A normal day of fast-paced production here at ABP Poland is a highly specialised process from start to finish.

For this piece, I chose to observe its operations with regard to resource usage, their reliance on electricity, water and energy. In order to operate ABP sites, every department must be systematically audited on energy requirements, actual usage and projected usage. Pniewy, an abattoir with a capacity to kill 2,000 cattle per week, was the first site bought by ABP in Poland in 2011.

Along with the mechanicalised primary processing that takes place here, persistent washdown is needed daily to reach the uniform ABP production standard.

Boning hall

Now I make my journey to Kłosowice, the state-of-the-art and modernised boning hall, which was acquired by the group in 2013. Here, the received quarters will soon become the popular cuts of sirloins, fillets and chuck-cut steaks that grace the plates of many hungry consumers in Europe and further afield.

The trimming and deboning of these quarters reaches a range of up to 50 different cut varieties all carefully selected by ABP’s many loyal customers.

I initially found it difficult to absorb the myriad amount of data picked up at each point of this daily process line relating to resource usage.

Reductions in resource usage

ABP has pledged to make substantial reductions in its resource usage by EU 2020. It is hoping to reduce water consumption by 50%, energy consumption by 30% and electricity usage by 40%.

It has implemented effective KPIs with its ‘‘Doing More with Less’’ programme, which aims to decouple the connection between resource usage and delivering unsurpassed levels of production.

Development of figures

The development of these figures is crucial as circumstances vary at each of ABP’s sites, be it in terms of modernisation, local climate or their relative level of output. It would be meaningless to set general ‘‘one size fits all’’ targets as they would be hollow and ineffective. Establishing metering points for water and energy at each site calculates quantifiable and precise results. Be it on or off target, attaining these valuable geometrics can be dealt with in a constructive manner.

Keeping up with these findings is crucial and it enhances and builds constructive communication between all staff from maintenance, QA and production alike with the group environmental management team.

All geometric data relating to the KPIs under water, energy and natural gas consumption is available on a web-based sub-metering system, accessible by all relevant parties. Regular engagement can be mutually beneficial for all departments and it certainly contributes to a sense of intrinsic motivation.

Regular laughing and discussions about Game Of Thrones during our morning coffee breaks have meant that any moments of homesickness can be easily forgotten about

Engagement

Being a part of the process and engaging in regular communication with the team here in Poland has given me confidence and a sense of deep gratitude to have been welcomed in so warmly to this community.

Within this community, it’s both the day-to-day and novelty occurrences at work which I love the most. Weronika, the receptionist at Pniewy, is my Polish tutor and I can confidently say I have developed a very broad and peculiar vocabulary, much to the entertainment of the rest of staff.

Regular laughing and discussions about Game Of Thrones during our morning coffee breaks have meant that any moments of homesickness can be easily forgotten about.

Polish farming practices

In early June, a day was spent learning about Polish farming practices alongside the Monaghan Quality Cattle Producer Group, which supplies ABP Clones.

We encountered many differences in the practices used on these farms. In the town of Baranowo, we caught a glimpse of how a typical dairy farm operates in this region.

Eighty hectares were used to milk 50 cattle, all housed indoors in individual penning.

White polythene was used on silage bales as opposed to black for fear of overheating and disturbing the fermentation process.

On a beef farm in the town of Buk, of 300ha, only 10ha was used for grass grazing, the remaining being used for grain and maize production for cattle feed. The lack of outdoor grazing here is due to the variability in the regions weather conditions. Farmers spend a lot less on grass input mechanisms (such as P and K) as the risk is too high.

Recreation

Outside of work, the earthy recreational amenities on my doorstep have been perfect for me as a nature enthusiast. Only last week, among the foliage of our back garden, I was able to forage fresh golden plums, red currants and gooseberries.